"Democracy on the Edge" Sen. Alfredo Bazoli speaks at New York University

In collaboration with NYU Department of Italian Studies NYU Colloquium in the Humanities Democracy on the Edge Challenges to the Rule of Law. An Italian Perspective A lecture by Alfredo Bazoli Senator of the Italian Republic Response by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU In this historical moment, democracies are experiencing a period of profound difficulty, and the world appears to be headed toward a process of “global autocratization.” According to a recent study by The Economist, out of 167 countries examined, only 15% can currently be defined as full democracies, while 36% are classified as authoritarian regimes. Furthermore, only 6.6% of the world’s population lives in democratic countries, while nearly 3 out of 4 people live under regimes—the highest figure since 1978. In this context, born of widespread distrust toward representative institutions, if not a literal identity crisis of democracy, many democratic countries are seeing a regression toward forms of autocracy which occurs in a slow, gradual, and progressive manner. One of the most significant signs of this involution is the weakening of the rule of law—specifically, the progressive crumbling of the system of checks and balances that limit power. This is the very system that led to the triumph of the “force of law” over the “law of force”; and constitutes a pillar of liberal democracy. No democracy is immune to these risks, and Italy is no exception. In fact, despite an international reputation that currently appears fairly intact, there are well-founded reasons in Italy as well to view the state of the rule of law with concern. This reflection aims to bring those reasons into focus. Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò New York University April 22, 2026